I've been very lucky to get a preview version of Distant Worlds: Shadows and so can make a Let's Play (or Let's Preview) series in the leadup to the launch of the game. Something I've been looking forward to for quite some months.

Hi Das, will probably be tomorrow, as we're working on it a bit more this evening. Sorry for the false alarm

Just watched the new video, great to see you enjoying the game. Taking out that enemy resupply ship was a good move, but it definitely cost you as well. I'd be looking for a few ships to capture now.

There are quite a few independent freighters around Braugele. If you can capture a few of those, you should be able to expand your smuggling operation nicely.

Assault pods and raiders, similar to fighters, do regenerate over time. The pirates that conduct the raid return to their ships pretty quickly actually, it just takes time to get them ready to go out on another raid again. The raiders are not large troop units, they are intended to be smaller groups and the pirates are very good at this type of activity.

Getting that first pirate base built will definitely help you, but you do need to still protect it as other pirates may conduct raids to try to destroy it if they can get to the planet. Looks like your closest rivala are pretty weak at the moment though. I saw that you turned down the pirates from "Many" (the Age of Shadows default) to "Normal" so you may not see quite as many as in the default Shadows game.

Keep in mind that you have an intelligence agent too. Use can use that character to good effect against other pirates - try to steal their galaxy map to find more indepentend worlds, blow up their bases, assassinate their leaders, etc.

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins There are quite a few independent freighters around Braugele. If you can capture a few of those, you should be able to expand your smuggling operation nicely.

I'm not sure what he's doing - when he right clicks on the enemy ships (with his fleet selected), his ships attack - so is the "capture" mission only available for use on civilian ships, or is it selected through the context list?

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ORIGINAL: Kayoz I'm not sure what he's doing - when he right clicks on the enemy ships (with his fleet selected), his ships attack - so is the "capture" mission only available for use on civilian ships, or is it selected through the context list?

The default action for right-clicking is to attack but if I push Control and right-click I get a menu. I believe that the default planetary action for pirates will be to raid rather than attack though.

Lets say you board a group of enemy ships as a pirate... - Can you do deep space repairs to them in a decent fashion or will you have to drag them back slowly? - Can you retrofit ships of another empire to one of your designs once they make it back? Like add boarding pods for even more boarding action?

How does the smuggling feature work? Do you get one off contracts from planets in need of certain resources? Can you make continuous deals with one to supply them with resources indefinitely? Will this improve their relationship with you? (Especially if you're subjugating them by force)

I think you made the game harder by reducing independents. They are probably food for pirates.

Also, why hunt all those caslon sources, when your base is one? They posted smuggling for polymer, and I think the planet very next to theirs was a polymer source. I would think getting control of the somewhat rare and important strategics would be top priority. To sell them to various needy parts.

A protection agreement would also be good income. Those are hard to get when you have not found an empire yet, though.

Lets say you board a group of enemy ships as a pirate... - Can you do deep space repairs to them in a decent fashion or will you have to drag them back slowly? - Can you retrofit ships of another empire to one of your designs once they make it back? Like add boarding pods for even more boarding action?

How does the smuggling feature work? Do you get one off contracts from planets in need of certain resources? Can you make continuous deals with one to supply them with resources indefinitely? Will this improve their relationship with you? (Especially if you're subjugating them by force)

As Bingeling said, you can still use Contructor ships to repair in space and you can give ships a retrofit order if you wish.

Smuggling is simply that you build a fleet of freighters and then they automatically go and buy or sell goods on the open market. You know what ships are yours but as far as the other empires are concerned the freighters are 'independent' and have no idea they are pirates. Brilliantly simple concept. :) The game automatically operates the freighters but the only difference is that you can choose to build them yourself (instead of the private sector building them if playing as an empire.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Hi Das,

FYI the new preview build is now available.

Regards,

- Erik

Thanks Eric. I'm downloading it now. I've got six episodes recorded using the other version so episode 7 will be with this release.

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ORIGINAL: Bingeling I think you made the game harder by reducing independents. They are probably food for pirates.

Also, why hunt all those caslon sources, when your base is one? They posted smuggling for polymer, and I think the planet very next to theirs was a polymer source. I would think getting control of the somewhat rare and important strategics would be top priority. To sell them to various needy parts.

A protection agreement would also be good income. Those are hard to get when you have not found an empire yet, though.

I think in hind-sight I should have stuck with many of the defaults.

Originally I was wanting to control all systems with caslon to stop other pirate expansion but then later realised this approach was going to send me broke. I then switch to the strategy you suggest. :)

I think I've noticed something new - I'm sure I saw one of your heavily damaged ships (after the battle with the resupply ship) begin to move despite its hyperdrive taken out...does that happen now? Before, a ship would need its hyperdrive even to travel at sublight speed.

I think I've noticed something new - I'm sure I saw one of your heavily damaged ships (after the battle with the resupply ship) begin to move despite its hyperdrive taken out...does that happen now? Before, a ship would need its hyperdrive even to travel at sublight speed.

Yes, you can now build ships without hyperdrive. In fact, if you start as one of the shadow Empires the only ships you can build are sub-light until you aquire the hyperdrive research. Really puts a new complexion on the game.

If you made a reduced size destroyer, it would be quite safe. It would be the "latest buildable" until the AI manages to make one that fits the yard. It will be automatically built and upgraded, and later forgotten once a newer, buildable design exists. The default built is always "latest, buildable".

If you want to manage destroyer designs on your own, you go to the Empire Policy screen and remove destroyers from the checklist of all design classes. The AI will then keep away from destroyer designs, but manage all those that are still checked.

If you do create your own destroyers that you want used, you need to be very careful on all builds and retrofits unless you disable the automation for destroyer designs. The AI usually is quite a bit more eager to create new designs than the average player is.

Actually, the issue is still there, sorry (unless it is stored in the older save-game files). Just loaded a previous game and turned on the long range sensors. You can see the sensors and the pirate system overlay make the detail underneith illegible.